My fellow Florida angler, we are about to embark on an adventure, both on the water and in cyberspace. A useful and enjoyable web-based tool for fisherman called FishExplorer.com, started in Colorado and recently launched in Texas is now in our home state. This powerful information tool and fishing community lets fisherman share information real time.
Like most of you out there I am just your average fisherman, not a professional angler, or guide, just a fisherman with 30 years experience fishing in Florida. As the state editor for FishExplorer.com my goal is to provide to our membership as much information about Florida angling as possible, making it be a useful and enjoyable experience.
I usually spend numerous hours every week in my boat, hunting bass or redfish. However, over the past couple of months we have spent many hours compiling information into our website on different fish species, boat launches, campgrounds and lake information to share with everybody. Whether a novice or highly experienced angler our research will help you explore the waters you know and new ones, provide you real time fishing reports, and meet some fellow anglers. Here is an example - Who out there knows how many freshwater lakes there are in the state of Florida that hold largemouth bass, or their locations? Fish Explorer puts you on them in a couple of mouse clicks. Two of our primary sources of accurate information are, a) the FWC (Florida Wildlife Commission) fisheries biologists, and b) Florida anglers.
Are you worried that the information is out of date or misleading because you know there are fisherman out there that don’t want to let any tricks out of their creel, well that’s not us. Our Field Editors will be sharing up to date reports through their blogs and articles with all of us. The field editors are pro’s and/or guides who want to help everyone become better fisherman. Our Lake Skippers are continuously updating the latest lake information and fishing reports on their respective lakes. There will be access to news releases from across the state and we will keep you informed on regulation changes from the FWC.
As we launch FishExplorer’s Florida region in May it is still going to need time to reach maturity. But we’ll get there quickly, especially with your help. If you’re a little skeptical or curious, both common angler traits, I encourage you to check out our sister states on our website. Disclaimer – reading about the fishing in these other states may lead to a long road trip. I started out a cold water trout fisherman and looking at Colorado’s website is pretty enticing to go and catch a rainbow trout in Rocky Mountain National Park or maybe now being an avid largemouth fisherman go to Texas’ Lake Amistad for one of their Hawgs.
So in closing I can’t tell you how excited I am about the potential of FishExplorer.com as a useful tool for the Florida angler. It will only realize it’s fullest potential because of you, the membership. Who knows becoming one of our lake skippers may be in your future. I look forward to working with you and hearing from you so that together we can make FishExplorer.com the best fishing website in Florida. So come join us and help make fishing in Florida the best it can be.
Mike Guiles
Florida State Editor
Fishexplorer.com
Mike has been fishing for 50 years. The first 16 years of fishing was for trout in the streams of Massachusetts. At 22 he moved to Florida for work and took up a whole new type of fishing “saltwater”. For the next several years he learned in-shore and off-shore fishing techniques. There was also the occasional shrimping expedition. At the tender age of 40 Mike then found even another form of fishing “Bass Fishing”. Chasing this elusive predator became Mike’s latest obsession. His motto is "I'd rather be fishing".
